Tag Archive | Evidence of Salvation

Evidence of a Christian life is the fruit we bear. That isn’t an option but a given. A Christian bears fruit.

Matt 3:8 (ESV) Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Everyone bears fruit, that isn’t the question. But as believers we should bear fruit for life, for God, for righteousness and the fruit of light.

Rom 7:4-6 (ESV)

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.

Phil 1:9-11 (ESV)

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Eph 5:7-12 (ESV)

7 Therefore do not associate with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Rom 6:20-23 (ESV)

20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

According to Galatians 5 there are some other fruits all Christians should bear.

Gal 5:22-23 (ESV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

No option is given. All Christians should bear the following fruits for God:

Righteousness

Light

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control

Believe me, as a parent, teaching children to bear those fruits can be difficult and encompass all your time, partly because we as parents are still learning to bear the same fruits.

Sometimes the Lord blesses us with children who have fewer struggles bearing some of the fruit than others do. There are babies who are born who naturally are more loving and more joyful while another child in the same family may struggle with being loving and joyful. That doesn’t mean that we as parents can allow that struggling child to get by with less because they display that sin nature more so than another. We, and they, might have to work harder to produce fruit. But the fruit will be more cherished when it comes because it required such hard work.

There may be a long time before a child bears fruit on their own. Just as we don’t expect a real fruit tree to bear an abundance of fruit the first year we plant it. However, there is a lot we as parents can do to help encourage our children to bear good and lasting fruit. Just as we would water, fertilize and train a tree, we are doing similar for our children. Those trees that do not eventually bear good and lasting fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matt 3:10 (ESV) Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

While we as parents can only encourage, disciple and train our children to bear righteous fruit, it is the Holy Spirit who will enable our children to bear true Christian fruit. Prayerfully at some point the Holy Spirit will come along side and convict and guide our children, taking over for us, as they strive to bear fruit in keeping with righteousness. If your older child who claims to be a Christian is not showing fruit or at least showing buds of fruit you may need to question them and have them consider if they are truly a Christian.

Not only is love for the brothers and sisters in Christ evidence of our love for God but Love for the brethren in the church is also evidence of Salvation. If we do not love our brothers and sisters in Christ and enjoy spending time with them then we are not in the light.

1 John 2:9-11 (ESV)

9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

This is even more direct, those who love the brothers and sisters have passed from death unto life.

1 John 3:14-17 (ESV)

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Now that is some serious things to think about.

If you are not part of a local church body, why not?

No church is perfect, if it was you or I couldn’t join. 🙂

However, while finding a good church is very difficult at times and in some areas, it is not impossible. (see the sidebar on the website for church locating links) It is easy to claim you love the brothers but you don’t feel the need to worship with the brothers corporately, yet try that excuse in other relationships. You love your spouse but don’t feel the need to live as a family. You love your parents but don’t feel the need to visit with them. Real love means we desire to visit and be with each other as much as possible. There is no excuse for not worshiping together with believers. If we, as a society, drive an hour or two for a sports activity surely we can do the same, if needed, for worshiping with fellow believers.

Post navigation

Search for:

First Things First

The most important fact necessary before reading this website is to examine yourself to see if you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, much of this would be ‘Foolishness’ to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are not a Christian then I recommend reading the following:

What is a Berean?

Acts 17:11
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." NIV

My Purpose

Comments

Please feel free to leave comments and you do not have to agree with me. But if you disagree please be kind enough to share the Scriptural reasons.

Great Books

Copyrighted Information

If I have in any way violated a copyright or not given appropriate credit to an author please forgive me. It was done innocently and in ignorance. Contact me if there is a problem and I will be glad to remove or edit it as desired.